The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-04-30

Is special part Of the work. Price. ~ 30. |
The Scribner for May Is at hand with an
Interesting table Of contents. THE Devel.
opment of the Steamship" by Commander
f. +. Chadwick Of the Navy, Is a timely
article, made possible by the liverpool
shipping Exposition of last year, and de.
scribes the changes Ia the steamship from
Fulton's line to this day. The Thackeray
teresting from the illusions to "Penden.
MIS-" then writing, aud 70 Dickens. The
serials continue while other notable arti
Giles are Forests of North America" "An
Ocean Graveyard" and several short stories
and poems of interest The articles on
Forests is particularly interesting, and
from it we extract the following:
FORESTS AND RAINFALL.
The tangle of decayed vegetation which
covers the ground beneath the forest Is of
considerable thickness. On top II consists
altogether of the decayed trunks, branches
and leaves. but II shades downward into or.
binary dark .cOlOred soil AT the depth OF a
few feet from the surface. This, the de
cay of the forest, lies between the boughs
of the air and the branches of the roots.
In II go on the most important actions
which take place In our Considerations
which affect the history of land and sea.
We shall therefore have to consider II In n
somewhat painstaking way. The most ev-
ident effect Of this sheet Of decay ing wood,
and moss which feeds on the decay. Is on
the rainfall of the region which ii maj ties
| When, after season OF drought. a rOpiuus
rain falls upon this spongy mass, III. water
! Is for "A long time absorbed In the interest.
! ices, and does not flow to the rivers Even
| In times of very h-a'y rain 'h- water /.
slowly yielded 10 the s'reaUis ,f'rr , dry
period of many weeks his sponge retains
a good share OF water. 4 Ike amount of
rain falling on titled fields or pra.ies slips
quickly away Ia the rivers, and thence 70
the sea. Tue first result. j., that when the
lana is destitute of forests IL sheds water
! like house roofs breeding Hoods after every
considerable rsin, will" in the forests the
rain is only slowly Si-!deh tn the streams
\ second and less evident result of the
! spungy character uf tie forest bed is that
| by hindering the escape al the rliu.wuter
! tall Uf the country. 70 see the nature and
importance of this action, We must t4rn
aside for moment 70 consider the origin
OF the r.in which falls upon the land The
original source Of this watersupply is tho
sea, which sends into the lands tolerably
regular annual store of moisture When
this falls AS rain or snow-either of two
things may happen--the water may go
| Il la 90 .
to the atmosphere rs vapOr 10 be again pre-
cipitated as ran The chance q; it, re en-.
vap)rltion is determined hy the speed with
which II flows to the streams, From tree.
less region 1t rapidly ESCAPES in an exten.
sive district of virgin forest ii may again
and again pass from earth to air, and from
air to earth.
Mr.. John Burroughs opens the May
number of The Popular Science MoWAiy
with an article on THE Natural rersus the
Supernatural which Is iRtended to vindl.
cate the position taken in his article on
Science and Theology" in the December
number of the Mon'h'y In 1t he main.
tains that the conception of Christianity Is
one with the constitution of tho world and
not an Interpolation into human history.
THE Present Status of the Greek Cues
tion," by Professor Edmund J James,
shows how great an advance has been made
in substituting variety of scientific and
literary studies the combination of which
is largely optional, for the compulsory
Greek of the old fashioned college cOur ses.
In Social Sustenance," Mr.. Henry J. Phil.
pott discourses how making living is at,
fected by the existence and conduct of
other people. In the influences of Snow.
Masses on Climate Mr. A. }. WOeikoff
gives some facts and results of his own
very extensive observations. which may
help us to understand why Our spring Is So
late and cold Other articles are The
suns Heat" Creation or Evolution?"
"Origin of Comets and Meteors,' "lIy.
giene as a Basis of Morals" "Mexcsn An.
tiouites," Iowa prairie Flowers of Early
Spring Hats rs Cause of Badness"
and many others. From the article In
fluence of Snow. Masses on Climate" we
extract the following:
A bed of snow covering the ground acts
as bad conductor, and renders the Elk.
change of temperature between the sur
face of the ground and the lower stratum
Of the atmosphere slower than ii would be
If the snow we're absent This Is result
OF the porous structure of snow, the inter.
spaces of which are filled with air. In this
matter the condition of the Snow Is OF con.
siderable importance the minute crystals
formed by cold are poorer conductors than
the larger flakes; but If the snow by alter.
nately thawing and freezing assumes the
form called mere, II becomes much better
conductor of heat. Farmers in countries
that enjoy cold winters are we'll aware of
the protective nature OF the snow. covering,
and do not fear for their grain when II Is
thick. The presence of snow thus assures
higher temperature to the upper layer Of
the soil than 1t would otherwise have. and
Its thickness Is An equally important facter
with its structure. But Its effect on the
air is different, for 1t separates the air from
the warmth, which without Its presence
would escape from the ground. Snow also
exercises an important influence through
its power of radiation, which Is dependent
on It's whiteness and the extent OF It's sur